LOST & FOUND PART 10
by DG Fisher
Summary: Lost & Found - Part 10
1. L&F PT 10 CH 86 IN PLAIN SIGHT

**LOST & FOUND – PART X**

**Chapter 86**

**In Plain Sight**

The front hall of the cream-colored house rang with the sound of voices and hurrying feet as people rushed in and out, gathering everything Adam and Thea would need for their quarterly trip to San Francisco. They would be inspecting the orphanage as well as meeting with business associates and visiting friends.

Adam was in his office checking his document cases one more time when a knock sounded on the outside door. Quickly looking up, he was surprised to see the sheriff standing on the porch - he got to his feet and hurried to let the man in.

"Good morning," Roy said in greeting when the door opened and Adam reached out to shake his hand and pull him in. "I know you folks are leaving," he continued, "but I figured you would want to hear this before you go."

Adam led the way across the room and half-sat on the front edge of his desk as he gestured for his guest to be seated in the chair opposite.

"Please," he said solemnly, "go on..."

"Well," Roy reached into his vest pocket to pull out a small, dog-eared, leather-bound book then held it out to Adam who took it, but didn't take his eyes off the sheriff's face.

"Abner Mueller was found dead this morning lying face-down on his mother's grave." He paused to let that sink in. "That diary is the only thing we found on him, and that was lucky for us since there wasn't enough of his face left to identify him."

Adam blinked in surprise. "What happened? I mean, what was the cause of death?"

Roy shifted in his chair and raised one hand to smooth down his neatly clipped mustache.

"Looks like he shot himself in the head, but Matt says he actually died from exposure."

"Does Matt have any opinion as to when?"

"He figures about three or four days ago."

"I see," Adam responded quietly then shook his head.

"The last I had heard, he was living in his father's old cabin up on Gobbler's Knob."

"Yes sir, just him, his traps, and his granddaddy's still."

A quick knock sounded on the office door to the hall and both men turned to see it open and Thea step in. "We're ready to go," she said before noticing the sheriff when both men stood.

"I'm sorry," she smiled politely at the older man. "I didn't know anyone else was in here."

"Actually Ma'am, I'm the one interrupting," Roy said hastily, his face flushing slightly red as he moved toward the outside door. Adam hurried to open it for him and the two men shook hands.

"Thank you for letting me know."

"You're welcome," Roy slanted a sideways look at Thea's coolly polite expression. "Just thought you might want to tell Gretchen Mueller when you see her at the orphanage."

Nodding, Adam clapped the older man on the back.

"I'll take care of that," he said low and the two men exchanged a knowing look before Roy hurried out the door.

Adam slowly pushed the door closed then let out a short chuff of laughter at his wife's narrow-eyed, stiff expression as she watched the sheriff cross the street.

"You're never going to forgive him for arresting me, are you?"

"I doubt it," she answered tightly, still staring out the window until he sighed deeply and she turned her hard gaze on him.

"What was so important that he couldn't wait to tell you?"

"Abner Mueller is dead."

"Really? How?"

"Ultimately, by exposure."

"What happened?"

"He shot himself in the head and was found this morning on his mother's grave."

Thea's eyes opened wide and sparked with anger. "After everything he put her through that piece of human offal couldn't even leave her alone in death." She made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat. "And then with his last cowardly act he just HAD to defile that good woman's grave!"

Adam had to suppress a smile at her highly indignant expression, "Theadora, calm down..."

"Why should I?" she almost snapped. "Sadie deserved better than that from both of her sons."

"Yes dear, I agree with you, but I don't want the children seeing that expression on your face right before we leave for a week."

His words clearly startled her and cut through her rage; her expression immediately cleared.

"Oh, you're right and I'm sorry for yelling, but every time I think about those two and the hell they put their mother through my blood just starts to boil!"

"I'm familiar with that feeling," he said and was about to go on when the door to the hall swung partway open and Hoss poked his head in.

"Are you two finished fightin?" his cheerful voice boomed, "I hope so, 'cause if you don't get a move on you're gonna miss that train." His bright blue eyes shone with good humor and Thea laughed as she hurried over to hug him.

"We weren't fighting Hoss, I was just getting hopping mad again."

"Then I'm sorry I missed it...accordin' to Adam that's really somethin' to see!" Hoss teased her and she laughed again as they went out.

Adam smiled even while shaking his head at their antics and was about to drop Abner's diary on his desk, but changed his mind and slipped it into his suit pocket, vaguely thinking Ted might like to read it. Then he dismissed that subject and turned his thoughts toward the uneasy relationship between Thea and Roy as he quickly gathered his documents cases and left the room, closing the door firmly behind him.

* * *

Thea paused at the main entrance to the hospital to straighten her skirts and catch her breath after madly dashing across the street from the Eden House hotel. She was trying to make it to her appointment with Dr. David Charles on time, but their visit to the orphanage that morning had taken longer than they had anticipated.

Just as she took hold of the handle, the door was yanked open and she came face-to-face with a tall, smooth-faced young man. His almost colorless blue eyes met hers, sending an odd, unpleasant thrill up her spine as they both stood there frozen in surprise.

"Theadora!"

A deep and loud female voice made them both start and he quickly turned around toward a large-boned, deep-bosomed woman who was dressed completely in white and bearing down on them like a ship in full sail.

Thea did her best to gather most of her scattered wits together. "Hester, how are you?" she quickly stepped around the young man and hurried to take the other woman's hand.

"Fine, fine..." Hester's warm brown eyes smiled down at the smaller woman and Thea tried not to wince at having her hand gripped almost hard enough to bruise.

"We have to get together before you leave so I can hear all about your wee ones," Hester continued, her short, curly brown hair ruffling in the breeze being let in by the open door. Then her brows furrowed in annoyance and she turned her attention to the young man who was still holding the door open and staring at Thea with disturbingly deep intensity.

"Durrant, you can go out or stay in, but either way shut that blessed door!" To Thea's surprise Hester's voice was unusually sharp, and she slanted a sideways look in his direction, but the pale-eyed young man was gone.

"One of our medical students," Hester said by way of explanation and shook her head. "I can't put my finger on it, but there's just something wrong with that boy."

"He does seem a tad odd," Thea agreed and glanced down at the watch pinned to her bodice. "Dear Lord, I'd like to stay and talk, but I'm almost late for my appointment, so why don't you come over to the hotel for lunch tomorrow?"

"Grand idea!" Hester enthused and wrapped her friend in a quick, yet overwhelming hug. "See you at noon!" she called over one broad shoulder as she bustled away.

Even though Thea WAS in danger of being late, she couldn't help but stand there for a while, grinning and watching, highly amused at the way everyone in the stalwart woman's path scrambled to get out of her way as she marched down the hall. Chuckling, she turned and hurried toward the administrative offices in the back of the building, keeping her head down to avoid making eye contact and to prevent being stopped again.

When she reached the door to the hospital administrator's outer office she sighed with relief and stripped her gloves off before going in.

"Maggie my love!" she caroled as she moved toward the reception desk and the sprite seated there had just enough time to swivel her chair around before Thea reached her.

Maggie's shy eyes sparkled behind her gold-framed glasses, but she grinned as Thea bent over to hug her and kiss her cheek.

"You better go in, he's been anticipating your visit all day," she reluctantly informed the other woman and Thea laughed softly.

"Being a bit of a tartar today?"

Maggie nodded and started to stand, but Thea waved her back.

"There's no need to announce me, I'll just barge right in," she said with a wicked grin and Maggie put a hand up to muffle her laughter as Thea opened his office door and loudly announced herself by shouting his name.

"DAVID!" she bellowed, and Maggie caught a quick glimpse of her employer leaning back in his office chair sideways, then only his feet waving in the air as he went over backwards. She was still giggling helplessly when the office door closed. Then she sighed deeply as she turned back to her desk and surveyed the many piles of paperwork with tired eyes for a moment before straightening her shoulders and diving in.

* * *

When Thea finally emerged from the inner office almost an hour later Maggie was not at her desk, so she stopped to write her a quick note, inviting her to lunch the next day too. Then when checking the time again she realized she was already a few minutes late in getting back to the hotel, so she dropped the note on her friend's chair so it wouldn't be overlooked and hurried out into the main hall only to narrowly miss bumping into a tall young woman coming around the nearest corner.

Cool greenish-grey eyes looked down at Thea and the woman's wide, full-lipped mouth curved with amusement.

Grinning back, Thea murmured a quick, "Pardon me." The taller woman gave her an almost queenly nod and smiled a strangely familiar smile before stepping to the side and striding briskly away.

Thea turned to see her disappear into Maggie's office and her eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out where she had seen the striking young woman before. Thick chestnut hair with deep red tones, a strong chin, straight nose, and a healthily flushed complexion passed through her mind's eye before coalescing into a face that suddenly clicked into place in Thea's memory.

"Oh dear God in heaven," she breathed and stood there rooted in shock until a light touch on her shoulder made her jump.

"Thea..." Maggie tipped her head to the side, her pixyish face solemn with concern. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Thea answered absently, still staring down the hall. Then she startled her friend slightly when she quickly turned her intense gaze in her direction.

"Did you see the woman who just went into your office?"

Maggie blinked rapidly, trying to shift mental gears to answer the unexpected question.

"Um...no, you're the only person I've seen out here."

"Does David have another appointment scheduled right now?"

"Not that I know of, but I've been expecting his niece to come by to surprise him today."

"Surprise him?"

Laughing, Maggie nodded. "She's been away at school for months now and finally managed to find the time to come home for a visit."

"What does she look like?"

"Well...she's tall with brown hair and grey eyes..." her words trailed off and she could only stare as Thea rushed away.

"Now for goodness sake, what was THAT all about?" she said softly to herself and shook her head as she started down the hall to her office, completely mystified by the other woman's strange behavior.


	2. L&F PT 10 CH 87 JOIN IN THE DANCE

**LOST AND FOUND – PART X**

**JOIN IN THE DANCE**

**Chapter 87**

The tall young man on duty behind the front desk of the Eden House hotel looked up and grinned when Thea burst through the front doors, nearly knocking down one of a group of four men who had been about to step out.

All four scattered to get out of her way then stood there staring as she dashed across the lobby, struggling to hold her skirts up with one hand and her hat on with the other. She slid to a stop right in front of the counter.

"Samuel, has my husband returned yet?"

"Yes Ma'am," he answered and made a concerted effort to stop smiling. "He came through about ten minutes ago and went right up to your suite."

"Oh thank goodness!" she barely finished answering before taking off toward the main staircase.

All activity in the lobby had stopped when she had rushed in and now everyone watched her practically gallop up the stairs. Soft laughter and low voices sounded in the room while Samuel's grin widened into a full smile. He shook his head, wondering what she was up to now, and then turned back to his account books.

Thea paused for a moment at the top of the second flight to catch her breath, suddenly feeling the weight of the child she carried. After taking a few deep breaths she smoothed back a few stray wisps of hair and started down the hall at a fast walk. She began calling his name even before she had the door open.

"Adam!" The door bounced off the side wall and slammed shut behind her.

"Adam...where are you?" He came running out of the single bedroom; she rushed into his arms.

"What's wrong?" he leaned back to look down into her upturned face. "Are you alright?"

"Oh Adam, you are just NOT going to believe it and I can't blame if you don't because I don't and I'm the one who saw her!"

"Thea," he let go and stepped back to cup her face in both hands. "Now slow down love...who did you see?" She took a deep breath and tried to rein in her excitement.

"I saw the nanny..." he blinked rapidly and his hands settled on her shoulders.

"Who?"

"Simon Albrecht's nanny!" Adam's eyes widened, his brows rose, and he began to rap out questions.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Where?"

"At the hospital."

"Did you speak to her?"

"No."

"Good. Now tell me exactly what happened."

"I was on my way out and I nearly ran into her coming around the corner. She went into Maggie's office so I asked her who she was and she said the girl is David's niece!"

"David's niece..." he echoed. "Dr. David Charles' niece." She saw his eyes take on that special look they always did when he was thinking deeply.

"Adam...do you HAVE to arrest her? I mean, is what she did really against the law?" He made a visible effort to turn his attention back to his wife.

"Yes, I'm sorry to say. Kidnapping and body snatching are serious offenses." She sighed and bowed her head.

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

"I'm sure," he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Theadora, do you have any idea what you've done?" She stiffened and pressed her face into his shoulder.

"Dear Lord, what now?" He chuckled softly at the exasperation in her tone.

"You came right to me," his deep voice rumbled low in his chest. "You didn't stop to think about it, you just came right to me...do you know what that means?" He didn't wait for her to answer.

"That means you trust me...you finally trust me!" Thea gasped when he suddenly shifted his hold to around her waist and picked her up.

"I did, didn't I?" Her joyful laughter widened his already delighted grin and he swung her around once before setting her back down.

"Yes, you did," he simply answered and his eyes narrowed when her expression sobered.

"What?"

"Yes, the question IS 'what," as in what do we do now."

"We?"

"Adam!" she protested, "Don't tease. How are we going to help her?" His dark eyes sparkled down at her with amusement at her defiant attitude.

"I don't know...yet." He turned away and started for the bedroom to get his suit coat.

"But first things first...we can't keep her from going to prison until she's been taken into custody..."

Less than half an hour later, and a quick stop at the gentleman's club, Adam and Thea stopped in the hallway outside Maggie's office to compose themselves.

"I know how difficult this is going to be for you," Adam said quietly and took out his handkerchief to wipe away a few drops of moisture beading on her forehead.

"But please remember to let me do the talking - no matter what happens."

Thea took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and nodded; he opened the door then stepped back so she could go through first.

Maggie quickly looked up from her piles of paperwork. "Thea...back already?" she teased, and then her face lit up with pleased surprise to see Adam.

"Maggie me darlin'!" his deep voice boomed as he hurried to take her hand before she could rise.

"How are you?" he bent over to lightly touch his lips to the back of her hand. Nervous laughter escaped from her partly open mouth and she flushed a deep red before lifting her free hand to muffle it.

"I'm doing quite well, thank you," she somehow managed to say rather clearly and her warm brown eyes sparkled.

"My dear I can't help but admire your loyalty to that slave-driver you work for..." he was saying and both women were laughing when the door to the inner office opened partway.

"Hey Cartwright, are you trying to steal my secretary away again?" David slipped through the narrow opening sideways then closed the door firmly before coming to shake Adam's hand

"I'm glad to see you again Adam, it's been a long time." He was smiling widely, but his eyes were wary and his face stiff. "So, what brings you across the street this afternoon?"

Adam had kept the other man's hand in a firm grip and now gave it a slightly harder squeeze with both of his own as he leaned forward to look his old friend in the eye.

"David...I think you know why I'm here."

The two men stood there silently for a few moments as Thea clenched her teeth and Maggie looked from person to person in confusion.

David shook his head vigorously and pulled his hand out of Adam's grasp. Deep red bloomed on his high cheekbones while the rest of his face blanched white.

"I can't let you take her," he declared and Adam sighed.

"I need you to stay calm about this because I'm going to need your help to keep her from going to prison...or even serving any jail time at all for that matter."

"What? You mean you're not going to arrest her?"

"Oh yes I am, I have to, but I'll also be petitioning to have her released into my custody."

"Why yours and not mine?"

"Because I'm an officer of the court and you aren't." The other man shook his head again.

"You don't understand she's the only family I've got..."

"I understand, believe me I do," Adam carefully reached out and put his hands on the other man's shoulders then moved slightly closer.

"Look, I would like nothing better than to walk away and forget all about this, but I can't. You know I can't." He shook his friend slightly. "Remember, there's a wanted notice out there with her description and a sketch from her picture. Now who would you prefer to bring her in – some street cop, a bounty hunter, or me?" He paused to let that sink in.

"Think about it..."

"Dear God you're right, that never occurred to me." The other man turned away to rub both hands over his face then made an angrily exasperated sound in the back of his throat.

"I'll go get her now so we can get this over with," he said as he wearily plodded to his office door, opened it, and stepped through the doorway.

"TJ, come on out now..."

Adam and Thea watched his entire body tense and his head turn to survey the room.

"TJ?" he turned to see the other three come rushing in.

Adam shook his head, his brow creasing with worry and anger as he hurried to open the only other door. The closet revealed was so full there wasn't enough room for an adult to hide. He banged the door shut and swept his sharp gaze over the room again until his eyes stopped on the open window.

"Oh no," he breathed and stalked over to look out just as a loud commotion rose from the front street below.

Thea ran to the window.

David stood in the middle of the room, frozen in shock.

Maggie fainted.

Adam had his deputies covering each entrance to the hospital and Dylan had been assigned the south side where deliveries were made and most of the under staff came and went.

The tall, handsome young man in dapper dress drew a great deal of admiring attention from the females passing by and more than a few hostile looks from the men. But his tailored clothing only emphasized his athletic build and his confident air prevented anyone from challenging his presence.

He had just tipped his hat as a trio of pretty young nurses passed by when he heard what he thought was someone shouting "Stop!" at the front of the building. The voice shouted again and this time he was sure the voice was John's.

In a split second decision he abandoned his post and ran down the alley toward the noise, rounded the corner and stopped dead when he saw the woman in question running down the sidewalk in his direction. His mouth fell open in surprise when she looked straight at him and instantly turned to dash into the street. John did the same, his bright blue eyes fastened on her retreating figure.

He could see the other man was running at an angle, hoping to make up some of the distance and he was so intent on the chase that he didn't see a sleek new buggy coming at him fast.

Dylan instinctively called his friend's name without thinking then cursed himself under his breath when the young man stopped to turn in his direction. He didn't notice that the woman had stopped running too.

"Look out!" he shouted and John was just starting to turn the other way she rushed him, knocking him out of the way with a flying tackle.

Dylan's heart surged up into his throat, choking him as his mouth fell open in shock. His knees felt weak at first as he ran down the sidewalk then his heart fell back into his chest with a dull thud and he could breathe again. He wanted to pray, his eyes fastened on the two figures lying prone in the dusty street next to the curb, but he could only breathe "Oh God," as a gathering crowd blocked his view.

After pushing his way through, he was amazed to see John sitting up and the tightness in his chest eased. He went down on one knee next to his friend.

"Are you alright Johnny?" he asked and reached to feel for broken bones; John pushed his hands away impatiently.

"I'm fine!" he barked and scrambled to his feet.

Both annoyed and amused, Dylan watched his young friend shoulder his way through the knot of people gathered around the long figure lying up against the curb. Heaving a deep sigh, he got to his feet and followed.

John was kneeling next to her, his right hand feeling for a pulse in her neck while the other was gently smoothing loose tendrils of chestnut hair back from her face.

Dylan's eyes narrowed as he got his first good look at her. Streaks of dust and some spattered blood did nothing to lessen the regal quality of her profile and when she turned her head her eyes fluttered open to meet his directly.

The crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief to see she was alive, while the hair on the back of his neck stirred. Her greenish-gray eyes flared in the center with something like orange flame and a sharp thrill raced across his nerves as her lips silently formed his name.


	3. L&F PT 10 CH 88 RELATIVITY

**LOST AND FOUND - PART X**

**RELATIVITY**

**Chapter 88**

The tall, narrow windows of Simon Albrecht's townhouse were brightly lit, even though midnight had passed more than an hour before. Weary, pale-faced servants tried to move about as quickly they could, completing their tasks while still being wary of the gimlet eye and capricious temper of their new mistress – Simon's diminutive sister Winnifred.

A faint silken rustle was the only sound she made as she gracefully descended the main staircase and the exhausted footmen still on duty in the front hall hurried to open the pocket doors to the drawing room.

When the doors slid almost silently shut behind her, a tawny bear of a man quickly rose from his chair by the fire and turned in her direction.

The unrelieved black of her mourning attire, raven hair, and the darkest of eyes served to increase the luminous quality of her fine complexion. Startlingly dark red lips framed her small mouth and they briefly pressed together in a line as her sharp chin rose.

"Mr. Conrad...you are late..."

The man's heavy red-gold brows rose in surprise at hearing a deeply feminine voice coming from such a small woman. He blinked then gave her his most disarming smile.

"Please accept my apology, Mrs. Harte. I'm sorry I did not receive your message until after I returned home around half-past twelve." Her chin rose slightly higher.

"I see," she said tersely and took her time surveying his robust form, starting at the toes of his brilliantly polished boots and not stopping until their gazes met. The bright firelight sparked in his thick mane of red-gold hair and his large white teeth flashed again in the midst of his full mustache and beard.

"Sir, I expected you to be here today. You WERE aware of our arrival date, were you not?" Even though he knew nothing would completely appease this woman's autocratic pique, he tried a slightly different tact.

"Yes Ma'am, I was and on my honor I promise you I will instruct my staff to immediately forward any message from you no matter what the hour or where I might be."

Expecting some sort of positive reaction he waited for a moment, but when none was forthcoming he plunged on and promptly put his foot in it.

"I also assumed you would prefer to rest for a few days after being at sea for so long..."

"REST?" her eyes opened wide and flared with dark sparks. All he could do was watch, fascinated as she stiffened with fury and stalked toward him, not stopping until their bodies almost touched.

"How can I ever rest knowing that the man who murdered my brother is walking about free?"

"What man?" he asked, truly confused as he stared down into her upturned face. She seized the lapels of his heavy tweed suit coat and tried to shake him.

"Adam Cartwright, you idiot!" Two hectic spots of color bloomed high on her cheeks and he became truly alarmed. His rough hands closed over hers as he tried in vain to loosen her grip.

"Mrs. Harte! Please!" He tugged gently on her wrists. "Calm yourself!" Taking a deep breath, he tried to reason with her.

"Didn't your husband explain what happened? Adam Cartwright didn't actually kill Simon, some lunatic woman did..."

She tried to shake him again then practically hissed in frustration before letting go and slapping his hands away.

"Don't touch me!" she ordered and he let his hands fall to his sides, becoming more than a little exasperated with her and what he viewed as nothing more than a royal temper tantrum.

Turning abruptly away, she began to pace back and forth with her hands clasped together in front – her knuckles white from the pressure.

"Some lunatic woman...you must think I'M a lunatic if you expect me to believe that..."

"I take it that you disagree with the official verdict," he ground out with deep sarcasm.

Winnifred stopped pacing in min stride and when she turned to face him he could see she was grinding her teeth in an effort to rein in her galloping fury.

"Are you really that stupid?" she snapped. "So stupid you believe a woman, a DYING woman, was able to disembowel a man of my brother's stature and strength?"

He winced mentally, surprised she knew the physical details of her brother's death. Deeply annoyed, he decided to drop the conventions of polite society and speak plainly too.

"Mrs. Harte, your brother was already badly injured and, I'm sure, unable to defend himself."

Her fashionably pale complexion blanched even whiter and her lips briefly trembled for a moment before her face crumpled and she threw herself into the nearest chair.

Sighing, Reuben folded his arms across his barrel chest and watched, carefully noting everything about her artfully tragic pose.

The flickering flames in the huge fireplace brought out the blue-black sheen of her hair and made the delicate, pale fingers covering her face seem almost translucent. Her thin shoulders shook with muffled sobs while the graceful arch of her long neck in profile completed the portrait of fragile despair.

"Madam," he finally said in a choked voice, "I have to admit I am torn between laughter and applause." She froze and he waited, his golden-brown eyes shining with wicked amusement.

Her hands fell into her lap and she shifted to face him, her eyes dry and her expression cool.

"I beg your pardon, Mrs. Conrad. I seem to have misread you." Her voice was calmly polite. "You AREN'T as dumb as you look."

The corners of her mouth lifted for just a split second when he threw his head back, releasing a roar of loud, unrestrained laughter.

"All right then," he chuckled and relaxed, sweeping the sides of his suit coat back to shove his hands into his trouser pockets. "I think we understand each other now."

"Not quite yet," she stood and moved across the space between them to stand directly in front of him again. Her sleek head tipped back and her dark wide-eyed gaze fastened on his face.

"Understand this – I will do anything, pay anything, and use anyone necessary to destroy the man who murdered my brother."

His smile sharpened as he softly echoed her words, "DO anything?"

"Yes," her eyes narrowed and she smiled for the first time.

"You see, I know all about you Reuben. I know about every shady deal, every swindle, and every bought-and-paid-for public official in your past. My brother told me everything about your business partnership just in case I should ever need your help." She moved even closer and he pulled his hands from his pockets.

"And that is how I know you are the perfect man for this job."

"Ah Winnifred," he breathed as he reached to gather her stiff, but unresisting from into his arms.

"NOW we understand each other..."

* * *

When Mike's chin hit his chest for what seemed like the hundredth time he sighed with weariness. Yawning as he stretched, he sat up in his chair before opening his eyes.

Watery morning light filled the stark-white hospital room where TJ had been laying insensate for the past three days.

Slowly getting to his feet, he pressed both palms to the small of his back and stretched again, leaning backward as far as he could. The cracking sounds coming from his spine were so loud he automatically glanced at the tall young woman lying in the narrow bed. Then he shook his head, smiling at his own foolishness in thinking sounds could bring her out of her coma.

Moving to the nearest window, he propped one hip on the sill and idly watched the activity in the street below for some time before realizing he had seen something different – something out of place in the room. He carefully swept his sharp gaze around the room, but saw nothing to account for his unease until his eyes settled on the bed.

TJ was lying on her stomach with her pillow clutched in both arms and her face practically buried in it.

He quickly straightened up and silently moved toward the bed, his heart starting to thump hard with hope.

Just as he reached the bed, she made an odd snorting noise into the pillow then turned her face in his direction. Her brows furrowed and she rocked from side-to-side briefly before starting to snore softly.

Mike slowly placed both hands on the bed and bent down until they were almost note-to-nose when her eyes suddenly popped open and she erupted in a flurry of flailing limbs and piercing shrieks.

Badly startled, he tried to pull back as she rolled toward the other side of the bed, but one of her hands connected, hitting the side of his head with a resounding "THWACK."

The next thing he knew he was lying face down on the floor, his head filled with the buzzing sound of a hundred angry bees. But he could still hear thumps and scratching noises as she scrambled around on the floor on the other side of the bed, punctuated with inarticulate cries of frightened rage.

Quickly pushing up onto his knees, he twisted to brace his forearms on the bed, but didn't have enough time to react before an enamel basin came flying straight at him and bounced off his forehead with a dull "CLANG." He landed on his back this time.

"Oh for God's sake," he sighed with exasperation while reaching up with one hand to carefully probe the already-swelling lump over his left eye.

The loud rattling crash of a drawer full of medical instruments hitting the floor made him jump where he lay and masked the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. The door flew open.

"What in heaven's name is going on in here?" Thea's loud voice seemed to echo in the now quiet room.

"Mike?" She took a step into the room then paused to give the door another impatient shove out of the way, unaware she had just delivered another solid blow to the top of the now unconscious deputy's head. Her brows flew up dramatically when she saw that the bed was empty.

Glancing quickly around with narrowed eyes, she opened her mouth to call her patient's name when she heard an odd muffled sound coming from the far corner next to the dresser. She hurried around the foot of the bed, but abruptly stopped, startled by the sight of the tall young woman crouching in the corner while holding a scalpel in one hand and a pair of pointed shears in the other.

The two stared at each other in tense silence for a few moments until Thea softly said her name. TJ jumped slightly and then blinked rapidly until her eyes opened wide, looking up at the other woman as though she just recognized her.

The scalpel and shears slipped from her now shaking hands and a harsh sound struggled to escape her straining throat as she shuffled across the floor on her knees.

Thea braced herself and only staggered back one step when TJ seized her around the wait in a crushing embrace.

"Now try to calm down," she managed to take in enough air to say while gently smoothing stray wisps of chestnut hair back from her patient's flushed face.

The younger woman's throat worked and her face turned a deeper red as she struggled to speak until Thea pressed a finger across her lips and shook her head.

"Don't try to force it," she said firmly, yet kindly then tugged on the other woman's arms to loosen her grip.

"Let's get you back into bed," she urged and bent down to help her patient up. "You just rest," she continued as she drew the covers up.

"Promise me you'll stay in bed and I'll go find your uncle Charles," Thea smiled at TJ's eager nod and then turned away.

"And THEN I'll try to find out where the hell Mike has gotten to," she grumbled under her breath as she hurried out, leaving the door standing open.


End file.
